Bandjir in de Enimrivier. Het waterniveau is reeds aan het dalen 1921

Editor: This photograph, “Bandjir in de Enimrivier. Het waterniveau is reeds aan het dalen,” taken in 1921, seems to document a flood. I’m struck by how commonplace such devastation appears, like just another day, and makes me wonder, what does it communicate beyond a simple record? Curator: The banality of the scene, its seeming indifference to disaster, is precisely where the photograph's power lies. It compels us to consider whose stories are centered and whose are marginalized. Do we know anything about the people impacted by this flood? Consider the colonial context: Whose land is this? Who controls resources, and whose lives are rendered invisible in these visual records? Editor: So, it’s not just about the flood itself, but who is experiencing the flood, and how their experiences are valued? Curator: Precisely. This image isn’t simply a neutral depiction of a natural disaster. It’s a product of a specific power structure that dictates what gets recorded and how. We need to question whose perspective is shaping our understanding of events like this and how that shapes policy. Editor: I see, understanding the power dynamics gives more meaning. It encourages empathy and, ideally, action. Thank you! Curator: Indeed, this image is a testament to the land's vulnerability and the people living there, which gives another layer of perspective.